SportsLine’s Top Weekend Picks: NBA Conference Finals Heating Up

I’m not going against the Nationals when Max Scherzer is pitching. The guy is lighting the world on fire — he’s 7-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 58.2 innings. His WHIP is a ridiculous 0.82. On Friday, he faces a Dodgers offense that’s a lifetime .176 against him (15-of-85), a Dodgers team that’s lost 9-of-11 and a Dodgers spot starter — Ross Stripling — that has a 4.05 ERA in his three starts. L.A. has yet to win when Stripling starts. The Nats have won 13 of 15, including four straight, and I don’t think Scherzer is going to be on the hill when the streak ends. Take the Nats, even at the high money-line price.

SportsLine Expert: Adam Thompson (45-19 in last 64 MLB ML picks)

Max Scherzer (Photo Credit: Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)

Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox
Friday, May 18, 2018, 7:10 pm ET

BOSTON -175

Baltimore is a terrible road team, winning just three of 20 all season. The Orioles are 0-4 against the Red Sox and 0-6 when pitcher Alex Cobb starts. Drew Pomeranz hasn’t been great for Boston, but the team wins 72 percent of my simulations, so even at this price it’s worth taking the home favorite.

The Brewers are coming off a West Coast trip that saw them go 5-2 against the Rockies and Diamondbacks — they’re 16-9 on the road this season and surging. They’re also winning 54 percent of my simulations, which for a team at this price presents a great value against a Twins team that’s lost three of four and has a sub-.500 home mark. Back the Brewers.

Let’s grab this number now while we’re getting the best of it with the value-added hook, because it’s likely to go down. Whether Cavaliers can respond with a win on their home floor in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals remains to be seen, but one thing is clear — they haven’t been able to separate from anyone. They have one home cover in the playoffs, which came against a fragile Raptors club that had mailed it in. Barring an unlikely no-show from the Celtics, this should go to the wire, and there’s clear value with the underdog.

The Warriors have been giving way too many points this season, which is a big reason why they’re among the worst teams against the spread. But Game 2’s result is at least keeping it at a respectable spread. We’ve seen great adjusting from each coach so far, resulting in two impressive wins. Now what? Look for the Warriors to take advantage of the home court and reclaim the series lead with yet another double-digit result in this series. Lay the points.